My Dearly Beloved
by PennyForYourThoughts024
Summary: My imaginary continuation of 'Summer Belongs To You' where Phineas realizes how much Isabella cares for him. And just like that, he shifts perspective on the entire day he just had.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this story is a continuation of 'Summer Belongs To You', so to speak. It's basically my head-canon of what might have transpired between Phineas and Isabella, because let's face it, literally all of us thought that this special would be when they got together. Sadly, it didn't happen, despite all the hints that were dropped. Anyway, on with the story!**

ISABELLA'S POV

"Man, what a great party. Wouldn't you agree, Ferb?"

Ferb gave Phineas a thumbs up as he finished putting items in a garbage bag and tied a knot at the top, throwing it on top of the numerous other bags kept in a pile near the tree. He squinted, counting the bags. Phineas yelled, "All right everyone, I think that's it! Great job and thanks for helping out with the clean up!" The various residents of Danville who came for their 'Welcome Home' party dispersed, walking through the front gate. A man wearing a hat walked up to him with a form. "Say, aren't you a little young to be doing all this clean-up work?" he asked me as he handed him the form to sign. Phineas raised his eyebrows at the man. "Sir, me and my friends just flew all around the world in a day in a plane that my brother and I built. We got Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan to guest star in this episode too. Do you think we can't handle a little clean-up job?"

"Eh, you got a good point there kid." I silently laughed at his reply. ' _Only Phineas can give such clever replies.'_ I sighed happily before remembering I wasn't alone. I quickly put a normal smile on my face as Phineas took the form back. The man yelled to the driver in the truck behind him, "Ok, take it away!" A big claw grabbed the bags and pulled them into the truck. "By the way, thanks for the giant claw invention. It really does save a lot of time." Phineas chuckled. "Glad you like it." The truck door shut as it drove away. After closing the gate, Phineas walked over to us. "Great work today guys! I think we proved that if we just believe we can, we can do anything." Candace smiled at him and said, "Just this once, I won't bust you. Now I'm going to bed. I'm so tired I can barely stand. Good night guys!" She rushed inside the house. Phineas said with a smirk on his face, "I have a feeling she's just going to call Jeremy and chat with him about that kiss they had. They looked like they were having so much fun." Upon hearing this, I perked up. _'He thinks that stuff is fun? Oh wow…..maybe there is some hope! OK, Isabella. Today you're going to do it. I mean, I didn't misread the signs, right? He danced with me all night, and he held my hand! It has to mean what I think it means! I'm going to finally tell him how I feel about him!'_

Phineas sighed and stared at the bikes, which were shunted to a corner. "I guess everyone gets their bikes back now, so that solves the problem of you guys walking home. Except for you, Isabella. I mean, you live right here." I laughed and said, "Yup. And I wouldn't live anywhere else in the Tri-State area." I smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back. My heart started doing relay races when he looked at me. Suddenly he said, "Ok guys, I think we all need to turn in now. I'll see you all tomorrow! Good night! Oh…um…hey Isabella, could you stay behind a bit? I kind of need to talk to you alone."

I simply stared at him as a tingle ran through my body. It seemed too good to be true. Phineas Flynn, the love of my life, wanted me to talk to him alone at night, under the stars, AFTER we spent the entire night holding hands, laughing and dancing together. I was giddy with excitement, so much so in fact that I didn't know or care that everyone else was looking at me rather weirdly. I managed to nod as everyone else left the backyard. Phineas walked up to me and we simply stood under the moonlight. I waited for him to say something; preferably a confession of his undying love for me, but a simple 'I like you' would be enough to send me into Phineasland. He smiled and finally said,

"Listen…what you did, back there on the island? That was amazing. You motivated me to continue on and to never give up, even when I had given up on myself. If it wasn't for you, we would have never made it back to Danville in time."

I blushed as I ran my hand through my hair. "Oh, you know….I couldn't watch you tear yourself up over something like that. I mean…you're my best friend…..I would do anything for you." I put as much hope and affection as I could in those words, hoping he would take the hint and finally say it. He smiled warmly at me, and I smiled right back. It was a moment right out of my fantasies, and I was loving every minute of it. Then he opened his mouth and said, "I just wanted to thank you for helping me. Sorry to have kept you here longer than the others. I'll see you in the morning tomorrow. Good night!"

And he turned around and walked inside, shutting the door behind him, leaving me shell shocked in the backyard. I stood there for a full minute, not wanting to digest what just happened. A feeling of hopelessness started to overcome me as I felt tears well up in my eyes. Not willing to let them fall, I turned and walked to the gate, swinging the door open and walking out, a small sob escaping my throat.

' _I finally thought I got through to him…Why? Phineas…why can't you see how much I love you…..?'_

FERB'S POV

I silently watched the slow retreating figure of Isabella as she swung the gate door open. I sighed and turned around to see my step brother emerging from the bathroom with a huge smile on his face. Our pet platypus, Perry, was sitting at the foot of our beds, like he always did. Phineas said in a cheerful tone, "Well Ferb, I think it's safe to say that today was an amazing day. Definitely one of the highlights of the summer, if you ask me." I simply stared at him, my mind acknowledging what he said but also thinking of how oblivious he was to his childhood friend's huge affection for him. I said, "Phineas, what do you know about love?"

The question seemed to take him by surprise. He sat on his bed and said in a slow voice, "Well…..I know what every other boy my age knows I suppose. Love is a complex emotion that captivates a girl or a boy and causes them to feel affection for each other. Then again, that's the romantic notion of love." He looked at me curiously. "Why do you ask?" I shrugged. "I don't know, really. I've just been having these….weird thoughts lately." Even though it was common knowledge that Isabella had a crush on Phineas, I had to act as if I was noticing it for the first time. Phineas' eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he exclaimed in a shocked voice, "Ferb?! Do you like someone?" I shook my head with a chuckle. "No, but I think someone else does." Phineas looked at me with a quizzical expression. I quickly realized that I might have let the cat out of the bag and I mentally cursed myself. _'If he figures it out, Isabella will kill me. She will hunt me down with the rest of the Fireside Girls and I'll be forced to flee the country. Maybe I'll go back to England – I'm sure Mum and Dad will understand.'_

However, he laughed and said, "Really? That's interesting. Huh…I wonder who it could be." I breathed an involuntary sigh of relief as I sat down on my bed. "Hmm…..you know a definite way to tell if someone is in love with another person is the way they act around said person. Have you noticed anybody acting…rather odd lately?" Phineas put his hand to his chin in thought. "Well…honestly….." I leaned forward in expectance, hoping that he would realize what I was getting at.

"No, I don't think so. Everyone seems pretty normal to me."

It took every ounce of willpower I had not to facepalm myself.

"Phineas, do you care about Isabella?" I was going in for the kill – I couldn't stand it anymore. She was hurting way too much and the obliviousness of my step brother only reached new heights every day. Isabella could do whatever she wanted to me – at this point, if what I saw over the course of the entire day means what I think it means, she'll have her beloved Prince Charming by her side by the end of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the second chapter :) I tried to emulate the character's as much as I could, but in this chapter Ferb talks. A LOT. Think of it as him building up everything he's seen about Phineas and Isabella's relationship up to now, and he finally decides to confront his brother about it after seeing Isabella. Anyway, on with the chapter!**

PHINEAS' POV

"Phineas, do you care about Isabella?"

Ferb's question surprised me, to say the least. I furrowed my brow and said, "Of course I do. She's one of my best friends – we've been friends for about as long as I can remember." Ferb raised an eyebrow at me. "What? She moved in, like, 2 days after we did. Remember?" Ferb simply said, "I remember." I narrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "So why are you asking me this question?" Ferb sighed and lay down, putting his hands behind his head. "Phineas, do you think Isabella likes anyone?"

For reasons I didn't know, a feeling of panic started building in my chest. I said, "U-umm…..I wouldn't know, would I? I mean, she's a girl – I'm sure she does." I turned away from Ferb so that he wouldn't see the blush that was slowly but surely turning my entire face red. I heard the creak of Ferb's bed as he got up and sat on mine. "I'm sure you're right. If she gets a boyfriend she'll be a lot more busy, going out with him and whatnot." I gulped and said in a quivering voice, "Yeah…I guess you're right." Ferb leaned over me and looked at me with a puzzled look. "Why are you acting so withdrawn about it?" I tried to turn away, but since I was already turning the other way, I couldn't. I averted my eyes from his face and said, "Withdrawn? Wha-what do you mean? I'm not acting 'withdrawn' about it." I got up from the bed and faced my step brother. Ferb smiled ever so slightly and said, "Well, the idea clearly bothers you. Why so?"

I sighed. "Ok, ok fine! Yes it bothers me, but not for the reason you think. I mean- this is Isabella! She's my best friend! She deserves the perfect boyfriend, not just some random guy. She deserves someone who cares for her, is always there for her, and will treat her perfectly! She deserves someone who knows her inside out, who will always help her and will make her feel like the most beautiful girl in the world! She needs someone who – "

"Builds her a giant ice cream sundae when her tonsils get removed, someone who builds a giant haunted house to scare the hiccups out of her, someone who dances with her all night, holds her hand, and looks at her with an expression of sincere affection and love?"

I stared at Ferb, thoroughly flabbergasted at what he said. Ferb simply smiled at me. I waited for him to explain himself, but he just kept staring at me. I eventually said, "Ok….umm…I have NO idea what you said or why you said it. Care to explain?" Ferb chuckled. "Phineas, please recap what we did today." Nonplussed, I said, "Well, we woke up, decided to travel around the world, got inspired by Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan – oh hey, speaking of which, don't we have to pay them?"

Ferb waved his hand, indicating that he had already taken care of it. I raised my eyebrows. "Did you include the all-expenses paid trip to the Himalayas? I told them that they might get a chance to see Klimpaloon" Ferb stared at me and wrote something down. He then gestured for me to continue.

"We went to Tokyo, crash landed in the Himalayas, went to Paris-"

"With Isabella."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Paris- the City of Love."

"…..Yes."

Ferb nodded. "Proceed."

"We fixed the plane, crash landed at an island, used your map to-"

"After Isabella motivated you to not give up."

I narrowed my eyes, still not seeing what he was getting at. "Right. And then we came back and had the party."

"Where you danced with her and held hands with her." I said, "Ferb, I know you're my brother, but right now I feel like slamming your head through a brick wall. PLEASE tell me what's going on!" Ferb finally said, "Come on Phineas, it's so obvious that **Isabella likes you!** "

For a brief moment, I forgot how to speak. I simply stared at Ferb, not knowing what to say. Ferb stared right back at me. There was tension in the air as my mind raced a million miles an hour, trying to process the information that Ferb had bombarded me with. After a minute, I finally found the willpower to speak.

"Like….as in more than just a friend?"

Ferb sighed and stood up. "Phineas, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Isabella has had an ENORMOUS crush on you since the day you two first met. I mean, she's dropped so many hints over the past 11 years it's not even funny. She has been trying to tell you every single day this summer, and throughout ALL the school years we've had. Remember that time in school that she stayed up all night making that poster for you when you contested in the school elections? And the time that she actually wore that Cinderella dress because you said that you wanted to be the prince who puts on her glass slipper? Oh, and let's not forget the time that she came to see you when you were sick, despite the fact that she had a broken arm and a horrible bruise on her left leg?"

I sat down on my bed, my head spinning. Ferb continued, "Oh, and let's talk about this summer! She never left your side when you built that romantic cruise for Baljeet and his friend, she was practically jumping with excitement when we went to the future and found out she could marry you, she wanted to invite you to that movie – just the two of you, mind, and today, you guys went to Paris, the most romantic city in the world, you held hands with her throughout the party and you danced together for almost every minute! You even held her hand and smiled at her so much! And what did you just do? You thanked her and walked away! It's like the last few hours meant NOTHING to you! She just walked out our backyard crying!"

I said nothing. My mouth hung open as I stared at a corner of the room, my mind still trying to comprehend what Ferb was saying. A feeling of dread and excitement started building up in me at the same time. _'She likes me? I…I can't believe it! Wha- how….how did this happen?'_ I looked at Ferb and said in a hushed voice, "Did you know about this before?" Ferb laughed. "Phineas, EVERYONE knew. You could give me a list of however many people you want and I can bet you they all knew."

I raised my eyebrows. "Isabella's mom."

"Yup."

"Mom."

"Uh-huh."

"Dad."

"Yeah."

"Candace."

Ferb chuckled. "Oh, most definitely."

It was astounding. Nearly everyone I named knew about the fact that Isabella had a crush on me. Baljeet, Buford, all the Fireside Girls, Django, Irving and his brother, even Vanessa! I pulled my knees to my chest, feeling incredibly heavy. 'She likes me….and I led her on the whole of today, holding her hand and dancing with her so much….oh no…'

I suddenly shot out of the bed, my hands pulling at my hair. "She must have been expecting me to tell her that I liked her today, when I asked her to stay back!" My eyes were clenched shut as I took a deep breath. "Argh, I'm such an idiot! What do I do, Ferb? I mean – I don't know if I like her…I mean, I know I do, but I'm not sure it's on the same level as her! I mean, yeah sure, I'd be lying if I said that sometimes, I didn't think of her as 'just a friend', but-"

Ferb held out his hand and said, "Hold up. You actually thought of her as 'more than just a friend'?" I shrugged. "Well…yeah. How could I not? She's….she's….."

And suddenly, it was like a fire just lit in my head.

"She's…perfect. In every way. I…I like her. I like her!"

I began to grin, an indescribable feeling of happiness permeating through my entire body. Ferb smiled and said, "Finally, he gets it. Honestly, this should be headline news in tomorrow's paper."

"I'm going to tell her."

"That's great, Phineas. I'm glad you finally found –"

"I'll see you in a bit, Ferb. Thanks!"

And just like that, I ran out the door, not caring that I was in my pyjamas, ignoring Ferb's confused yelling. I had to tell her how I felt, tonight. And I had to apologize for being so oblivious for so long.


	3. Chapter 3

ISABELLA'S POV

 **A/N: Hey guys! So in this chapter I've actually used a song by AmaLee called 'My Dearly Beloved' (cue CinemaSins sound), so credit to her for making this amazing, wonderful rendition of one of my favorite melodies of all time; I'll put a link to her channel down below after the chapter :) Let's get right into it :D**

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ISABELLA'S POV

I walked into my house, trying to make as little noise as possible. My mom asked me to come to the dining hall for some chocolate, but I declined and said that I was going to my room, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible. I trudged up the stairs, my tears threatening to fall with every step I took. When I finally reached my room, I shut the door behind me and simply stood there. Unconsciously, I started to go through everything that had happened that day. Phineas and I walking around Paris when he didn't even glance once at me, while I was singing my heart out, begging for at least a little attention, us sitting together and watching the beautiful sunset bathe the island we were on in a warm glow, dancing with him, holding his hand, his grip firm on my fingers…..the way he smiled at me…..

Suddenly, the dam broke. The tears cascaded down my face, wetting my cheeks and falling down to the rug below me. I collapsed to the ground, my sobs silent. I screwed my eyes shut, my hands trying to stop the flow of tears and my thoughts a blur of pain and helplessness.

'I thought today would be the day…..I actually thought today would be it! I thought he finally took all my hints and slip-ups seriously! And yet…..he didn't even notice me in Paris, the most romantic city in the world! And tonight….we danced all night! He held my hand! He smiled at me! And he asked me to stay back… (sigh) I guess it's just…just not meant to be…'

The thought that I might not end up with Phineas had never entered my head up to that point, but when it did, I felt sick to my stomach. I clenched my fists and tried to take deep breaths to calm myself down. 'Don't think like that Isabella. Stay positive! He'll notice you one day, and then we'll both be happy together! I know we will!' But even as I said this to myself, a small voice in the back of my mind said in a snide tone, 'But what if he's just not into you? What if he's into someone else already?' I tried to fight off the feeling of dread that was bubbling in my stomach, but as I thought about it more and more, it only became worse. I put my hands to my face as I sank deeper into my misery. I reached for my MP3 player and connected it to my speakers. Feeling utterly powerless, I hit the 'shuffle' button and crawled into my bed and fell asleep, my sobs reducing to nothing as I slipped into the realm of dreams while the song played.

' _One day you will realize_

 _The stars you were chasing_

 _Shine bright deep inside you_

 _But will you ever let it shine from within_

 _And cast all your fears aside_

 _You'll see the light_

 _But until that day comes…..'_

' _My dearly beloved_

 _Be strong, I shall be there_

 _Always here beside you_

 _So keep your head held high_

 _The shadows of this world_

 _Will try to steal you way into their arms_

 _But you belong in mine…'_

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Sleep didn't come easy. I was constantly tossing and turning, trying to get over what had happened throughout the day. Finally, when I had just begun to drift off, I was awoken by a tapping on my window. Grumbling, I opened my eyes a fraction to see someone standing in front of it, tapping on the glass. All of my drowsiness was gone in an instant and was replaced by terror as I looked with wide eyes at the figure desperately trying to get in. I could hear a voice but couldn't make out what it was saying. The figure kept tapping at the glass, trying to get in. Trembling, I slowly reached to my side hoping to find the landline, keeping my eyes on the window the whole time. However, as I watched the figure I realized something very peculiar.

He had a triangle shaped head.

The terror within me reduced a little as I weighed my options. I could call him out, but that would draw all his attention to me, and if it wasn't Phineas, then I was in big trouble. 'Oh come on', I reasoned with myself. 'How many other boys have a triangle shaped head?' I took a deep breath and called out in a tentative voice,

"P-Phineas? Is t-that you?"

The figure stopped tapping and nodded furiously. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the window. Opening it revealed the pyjama clad boy as he clambered into my room. Turning around he said, "Thanks for all the help guys!" Looking down, I saw that a huge amount of Phinedroids forming a giant rope like structure for him to climb on. All of them waved and they dismantled the rope. I said, "Why did you use the Phinedroids to build the rope? Why didn't you just use….you know, a normal rope?" Phineas said in reply, "Well, that's what I was going to do, but when I tried to build one….." He winced and clenched his left shoulder. I asked in a concerned voice, "Phineas are you ok? You don't seem normal." He laughed, but it was a strained laugh – one that would probably come out from someone who was just about to enter an exam hall for a final. "Yeah, I'm fine. Everything is ok." He winced again and tightened his grip around his shoulder. For the first time, I noticed that the area he was clenching was a dark red colour. "Phineas, you're hurt. Let me see."

"Don't worry about it Isabella, I'm fine, honestly!"

I gently moved away his hand and gasped. There was a huge gash on his forearm that ran all the way up to his elbow, and it was still bleeding. I nearly yelled, "Phineas, what the heck happened?! You're bleeding! Let me go get some antiseptic or something!" I made to run for the door but I felt Phineas' hand on mine, stopping me. My heart almost stopped as I turned around to look at him. He looked directly into my eyes and said in a pleading voice, "Stay with me…please? I need to tell you something – it's really important. My arm can wait." I sighed and said, "…Ok….fine. But I want some answers. For starters, why are you coming up here at-" I quickly glanced at my alarm clock. "2:30 in the morning?" Phineas sighed and twiddled his thumbs. "I…there's something I have to confess." I sat down next to him on my bed and put my hand on his shoulder. "Sure. What's going on?"

Phineas sighed. He looked at me with an expression so torn it unsettled me a little bit. "Isabella…..I'm so sorry about what I did earlier today. I treated you so poorly. You've done so much for me, not just today, but for my entire life! And I've been oblivious to it all up to now. You've helped me out every single day this summer, even when you had so many better things to do, and I…I feel like I took you for granted." His voice broke as he bowed his head.

I was totally speechless. Phineas was usually so full of life, optimistic about every situation, no matter how daunting and challenging it was. And here he was, moping about how he treated ME wrongly! It took all of my strength not to just hug him right then and there, stroke his red hair and tell him that it was ok, and that I wasn't upset at him at all. I sat down next to him on my bed, staring at the ground. Suddenly the voice in my head said _'Do it now. Tell him how you feel! You were going to do it after the party anyway…now's your chance!'_ I contemplated it, my conscience wrestling with the idea of letting him know my biggest secret. _'Just do it. Whether the outcome is good or bad, at least he'll know. And hey, even if he's into someone else or if he doesn't feel the same way about you..…it's ok. As long as he's happy….then I shall be too.'_ I smiled in spite of myself, a small tear running down my cheek. Phineas looked up at the sound of me sniffling and noticed the tear running down my face. "Isabella? What's wrong?"

I sighed. "Phineas, there's something I have to tell you. Just promise me you won't interrupt me when I'm saying it, ok?" Phineas looked at me with a puzzled expression but nodded. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself _. 'Do it quickly, before you lose the nerve!'_ I started, "You know that….when someone has feelings for another person….like, romantic feelings, they'll do anything for that person?" I looked at him, expecting him to simply nod his head. Instead, however, he clenched his fists tightly and nodded slightly. I paid little attention to this, however, as I continued. "Well…...I've sort of had those feelings for you. For a long time now, actually; since I first met you. You just…radiated this amazing sense of hope and positivity. I don't know how to describe it really." I walked over to the window, while continuing to talk. "From the moment I met you, I just knew that I liked you. And somewhere along the line…I guess….I fell in love with you. But I've always been terrified of how you would react if you knew. So I kept it a secret….or…I tried to, at least. A lot of people already know about it. Your brother, all our friends, my parents, heck, I think even YOUR parents know by now. But you…you never noticed. And that's not something I'm blaming you for, not by a long shot. You're always so invested in whatever you're doing. I find it admirable. It's one of the reasons I fell for you, after all." I turned around to look at him, and found that he was simply staring at me. His mouth hung slightly open and his eyes remained unblinking.

"You're just so wonderful at making other people happy….and….you always manage to cheer me up, no matter how bad things get. And you've done so many amazing things for so many people! It's mind boggling, and I really think a lot of people in Danville owe you a huge thank you." I laughed as I turned back to face the starry night sky. "I guess today….I expected things to finally work out. But that's ok. I've made my peace with it. It's ok if you don't feel the same way about me. As long as you're happy, Phineas, I'll do my best to stay the same! Even if…e-even if I'm not the one who g-g-gives you that happiness…." I closed my eyes as the tears started their decent down my cheeks. I sobbed as I wiped them away, not willing to let Phineas see me like this. To my surprise, I heard footsteps behind me as I felt warm hands wrap themselves around me. I gasped as Phineas hugged me softly, his body pressing up against mine. "Isabella, I'm so sorry I put you through all of this….but if I may….there's something I have to tell you as well."

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 **Link to AmaLee's YouTube channel:** **user/LeeandLie**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So this is it! With this, the story is over! I had a blast writing it :) Sad stories that have a glimmer of hope in it or at the end always appeal to me, and Isabella's constnat struggle with Phineas is just another reason why I think this show has so much depth. Oh, and the song I use in this chapter is The Reason by Hoobastank (love the song; it's amazing!)Thanks to all those who had a blast reading this, and hey, leave a review if you're so inclined! I always appreciate constructive criticism :) Have fun!**

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ISABELLA'S POV

He gently removed his arms from around me and said "I've come to realize some very important things, Isabella. Well…with some help, I might add." I gasped. "….Does this mean….? Wait – what help?" Phineas looked sheepishly at me and said, "Well….Ferb told me some…interesting stuff….that's actually why I came here to talk to you." He winced again and clutched his left shoulder. I stood up. "I'm going to get some gauze for that." When Phineas started to protest, I raised my eyebrows at him and said in the sweetest tone possible, "Phineas, if I don't do something about that hand, you're going to bleed to death. Now, we wouldn't that, would we?" Phineas paled and shook his head frantically. I chuckled and said. "Good. Stay right there then." I left to go to the nearest bathroom, where I knew the gauze would be. I grabbed the bottle and headed back. Phineas was still sitting on my bed, his eyes screwed up in pain. I gently moved his hand away from the wound and gasped. The blood was all over his arm, but luckily the area wasn't as large as I thought it was. 'Ok Isabella, now's the time to put your 'Patching Up A Wound' patch to good use!" I began to gently rub the gauze on the wound, making sure I didn't press too hard on the wound. Phineas stiffened at my touch at first, but he slowly loosened up as I kept rubbing it. I got a cloth and tied it around the wound, taking care not to make it too tight. As soon as I was finished, Phineas lifted his hand and waved it about. I said, "I managed to patch things up temporarily, but you should really get that looked at by a doctor." Phineas smiled me – a real, genuine smile, and said, "Thanks Isabella. You're the best." I blushed and sat down next to him.

There was silence in the room for a while as the both of us sat next to each other. I was acutely aware of Phineas sitting next to me, his hand barely 2 inches away from mine. I knew that he was thinking about what I said earlier, but I didn't press him about the subject. He would tell me when he felt like it. But I was curious as to what he meant by 'help'.

"So….Ferb, told you, huh?"

Phineas sighed. "Yeah…he did. He told me everything – about how you kept trying to get my attention, and….well, how I kept ignoring you." He looked away as he said that, refusing to meet my eyes. I said nothing as I realized that the biggest secret of my life was finally out to the one person I had spent the last 7 years in the dark about it. I wanted to say so much to him, but surprisingly, I couldn't make a sound. Instead, the silence was broken by Phineas, who said, "I can't believe that even after I kept treating you like that…..you still liked me. Either you're crazy….or…no, that can't be right, it's pretty obvious at this point that I'm a little crazy….." I laughed, despite the emotional weight of the situation we were in. "Phineas, I could never stop liking you. You were always so….jovial and optimistic. You still are, in fact!" Phineas smiled at me gently, but it was soon replaced with a frown. "This will make things difficult, though. I have a bad guilt complex….but I swear to you, Isabella, I'll make this up to you in the future – every day of this summer, and every single day for the rest of my life if I have to!"

My heart brought out its treadmill and started running it again as I looked at him with a hopeful expression. _'Does this mean what I think it means?'_ Phineas looked at me endearingly and said, "You were worried about you not being able to give me that happiness, right? Well…you don't have to worry about it anymore. Because I will make sure that I'll give YOU that happiness." I smiled at him brightly despite the tears streaming down my face. My heart felt like it was about to burst. Phineas leaned forward and hugged me gently. I tightly gripped his shirt as the tears stained it, making certain spots wet. I closed my tightly, never wanting to let go of him. However, sadly, he let go of me and said, "Now I want to tell you something."

He gently removed his hands from around me and stepped away. I stood up, unsure of what he was going to do. We stared at each other, the moonlight illuminating the room just enough for me to see his face. Phineas opened his mouth and to my extreme surprise, he started to sing. His voice, as soothing as ever, washed over me as I found myself entangled in the melody.

' _I'm sorry that I hurt you_

 _It's something I must live with every day_

 _And all the pain I put you through_

 _I wish I could take it all away_

 _And be the one who catches all your tears_

 _Because I need you to hear…..'_

I gasped as Phineas stepped closer to me. My heart was beating at a million miles an hour as he took my hand and pulled me closer to him, lowering his voice as he did so.

' _I found a reason for me_

 _To change who I used to be_

 _A reason to start over new_

 _And the reason is you_

He stepped even closer to me, his hands grasping mine tightly. I felt like I had reached heaven already. His thumb gently caressed my hand as he sang the last verse.

 _I found a reason to show_

 _A side of me you didn't know_

 _A reason for all that I'll do_

 _And the reason is you.'_

He leaned in and his lips gently touched mine. I closed my eyes and leaned into the kiss. For a moment, everything was perfect. We slowly parted and stared into each other's eyes.

This tale has a happy ending.


End file.
